Wednesday, 24 June 2015

Time flies......

Confirmation Gifts

Last week saw thirty youngsters from our parish receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. As we attend Mass on a weekly basis the children have known each other from birth - They've also all been in the Catholic school system since the age of five, so they really have grown up together. Whilst I support my husband and children in their faith by attending church with them, I'm not actually religious myself, so I took a back seat in the whole process but my husband was a sponsor for one of the girls, Anna and her father did the same for George. To mark the occasion, I stitched Anna up a little 'Dumpling Pouch' along with a matching appliquéd mirror.

It can be easy as a parent to get caught up in the daily rush of life and I know I don't always take the time to sit back and reflect upon my children's positive points. Instead I always seem to be constantly nagging about music practice, homework, revision...etc....etc. However, they are actually really rather lovely and despite our dodgy parenting skills are even growing into decent human beings!

One of the benefits of having an active faith is becoming part of an amazing extended 'family' and the support that this provides. For us this also translates into weekends away where, as a group, we rent a holiday property in various stunning locations and thirty to forty of us just kick back and enjoy each other's company (along with lots of good food and alcohol!). We have been doing this for well over a decade and the picture below was taken on last year's jaunt to Robin Hood's Bay. George is sitting at the front and just behind him is Anna. At the back is Rebecca who is taking her GCSEs this year and is my daughter's 'God-sister' due to her mum being Alice's Godmother. Sitting in front of her is Sita who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Anna's dad took these pictures and looking at them reminds me of what a wonderful time we always have and this autumn's trip has already been booked!

Girls, unlike boys, are quite easy to buy or make gifts for, but Anna and her family came up trumps and gave George with a lovely print of the Magna Carta which we will now get framed.

The dumpling pouches are quick to stitch up and can be embellished in loads of different ways. I used this tutorial from Keyka Lou Patterns which I think is the best one out there. She offers a choice of two sizes and I stitched up the smaller one because it's so cute!

9 comments:

What a lovely gift to make for your friends' daughter. Beautiful photos, somehow I imagined your children were much smaller, funny how reality can be so different from what we imagine. Anna must have loved her gift and I agree, gifts for girls are so much easier. Hx

What beautiful photographs of lovely teen people. Being a Mum is a bit weird isn't it? It's not like children come with a manual. I feel like all I do is nag about stuff too but I am sure that if we didn't there would be no homework done or PE kits remembered. Your holidays sound fantastic. it is nice to get the chance to unwind.That is such a lovely gift. Very useful too. I love the little badge/brooch. xx

What a lovely confirmation gift! Something handmade with love - perfect! I know organised religion gets a bad press often these days but you highlight something that is rather special about the sense of extended family that it can at its best engender. Hope you all have a lovely trip away together this year. Sounds enormous fun! And I have bookmarked that tutorial - want to make one of these right away! E x

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About Me

Hello and thanks for visiting. My name is Josie and I live in the North East of England with my husband, two children and a very naughty cat.
This blog is where I share my latest creations and an ever growing addiction to vintage fabrics!